Senior Production Manager - Full Story Films

Sky Retail Stores; Hounslow; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Full Story Films is seeking a Senior Production Manager to oversee development and production slate, working with the Senior Production Executive to translate editorial ambition into budgets, schedules, staffing plans and robust production processes.

You will lead production systems across offices, locations and post-production, manage risk, health and safety, and duty-of-care standards, and collaborate with editors, commissioners and suppliers to keep everything on track.

Qualifications

• Substantial production management experience in current affairs, factual or documentary television.
• Strong ownership of programme budgets, cost reporting and cash flow management.
• Knowledge of production insurance, contracting, rights and clearances, data protection and safeguarding.

Responsibilities

• Create and manage programme budgets and production schedules reflecting editorial requirements; prepare forecasts and cost reports; monitor expenditure and cash flow; identify variances and take corrective action.
• Oversee production finance with the Production Accountant, including raising POs, invoice processing, expenses and payroll.
• Source, negotiate and book crews and suppliers; plan travel, accommodation and filming kit; ensure cost-effectiveness and suitability to production needs.
• Manage location research and access negotiations; obtain filming permits and permissions.
• Coordinate contributor releases, material and location agreements.
• Create filming call sheets and production risk assessments; ensure health and safety and insurance requirements are in place and communicated.
• Ensure compliance with production policies and escalating concerns as needed.
• Support teams handling sensitive material or in hostile locations; manage edit schedules and post-production workflows.
• Maintain post-production and delivery schedules; coordinate viewings and delivery of paperwork.
• Build trusted relationships with contributors, commissioners, suppliers and external partners; promote collaboration and inclusive leadership.
• Continuously review production processes and introduce practical improvements; work from the production office with flexibility to attend shoots and post-production facilities.

Skills

Planning

Budgeting

Negotiation

Problem-solving

Communication

Leadership

Travel

Attention to detail

Job description

The Senior Production Manager will work closely with Full Story Films' Senior Production Executive to oversee Full Story Films' development and production slate.

The role is responsible for supporting editorial ambition into workable budgets, schedules, staffing plans and production processes, while maintaining financial, legal, compliance, health and safety, and duty-of-care standards.

This role requires excellent planning, budgeting, negotiation and problem-solving skills, with the judgement to respond calmly and decisively to fast-moving production developments.

The Senior Production Manager will communicate clearly with editorial leads, production teams, contributors, commissioners, suppliers and external partners.

They will establish efficient production systems and maintain a seamless workflow across the production office, filming locations and post-production, while providing clear leadership and support to the wider production team.

What you'll do

• Create and manage programme budgets and production schedules that reflect editorial requirements; prepare accurate forecasts and cost reports; monitor expenditure, commitments and cash flow; identify variances early; and recommend corrective action to keep productions on budget and on schedule.
• Oversee production finance, with the Production Accountant, including raising POs, invoice processing, expenses, payroll preparation, contracting.
• Source, negotiate and book experienced crews and suppliers; plan travel, accommodation and filming kit; ensure arrangements are cost-effective and appropriate to production's requirements.
• Manage location research and access negotiations, obtain filming permits and permissions.
• Arranging contributor releases, material and location agreements.
• Create detailed filming call sheets, production risk assessments, and ensure that health and safety requirements, escalation procedures, insurance requirements, safeguarding measures are in place and communicated.
• Ensure compliance with production policies and protocols, escalating concerns promptly.
• Support teams working with sensitive material, vulnerable contributors or in hostile locations.
• Manage edit schedules and post-production workflows; Support clearances for music, archive, and other third-party material and is correctly licensed and cleared.
• Maintain post-production and delivery schedules, coordinate viewings; ensure associated paperwork, eg Silvermouse are delivered on time and to the required specifications.
• Build trusted relationships with contributors, commissioners, suppliers and external partners; provide clear support to development and production teams; promote a collaborative, inclusive working culture.
• Continuously review production processes, introduce practical improvements for production.
• Work primarily from the production office, but flexible to attend shoots, recces, production meetings or post-production facilities when needed, or require senior oversight.

Essential experience and knowledge

• Substantial production management experience in current affairs, factual or documentary television. A strong track record of managing complex investigative productions from development through to delivery.
• Confident ownership of programme budgets, cost reporting, forecasting, cash flow and financial controls.
• Detailed working knowledge of production insurance, contracting, rights and clearances, data protection, health and safety, safeguarding and contributor duty of care.
• Experience of managing productions involving sensitive subject matters, vulnerable contributors, complex access or challenging locations.
• Experience of managing and developing production staff, and negotiating effectively with freelancers, facilities, and external suppliers.
• A proven ability to identify, assess, and mitigate editorial, legal, financial risks.
• Strong understanding of end-to-end production and post-production workflows, technical delivery requirements and secure media handling.

Skills and attributes

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• Excellent planning, organisation and prioritisation skills, with the ability to manage competing deadlines and maintain accuracy under pressure with attention to detail.
• Calm, decisive and solutions-focused in fast-moving or high‑pressure situations.
• Be proactive and spot problems and challenges before they arise
• Clear and confident communicator
• Collaborative and inclusive leadership style, with the confidence to set expectations and support colleagues.
• High levels of discretion and integrity when handling sensitive information.
• Flexible and willing to travel or work outside standard office hours when production requires it.
• Experience of managing international filming, hostile-environment arrangements or high‑risk access.

About Full Story Film s:

Full Story Films is Sky's in-house documentary and current affairs production unit. We bring together the original journalism of Sky News with award-winning production expertise to cr